Cabinet hails power, flour price relief

CM Maryam stresses protection of the poor

LAHORE:

 

The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved a scheme to provide solar systems to electricity consumers of up to 500 units per month and paid tribute to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for notifying the flour price in the province for the first time.

“We are bringing solar systems for 4.5 million consumers who spend up to 500 units,” said the chief minister while presiding over a cabinet meeting.

She added, ”Due to increase in electricity bills, there is anxiety among the public, but together with my team, we have found a solution.”

She also welcomed a tax withdrawal for the protected consumers.

She acknowledged that it was not easy to control the flour price despite not buying wheat. ”I called my team immediately when the price of flour increased by Rs200.”

However, the chief minister said, ”Monitoring and implementation are necessary to keep the flour cheap.”

She added, ”The food minister should spend 16 hours a day on controlling the rates of essential commodities. ”In four months, Punjab's young cabinet has shown excellent performance,” she added.

The chief minister highlighted that the Socio-Economic Registry of Punjab would also begin functioning.

She stressed the importance of protecting the interests of the poor. ”It should not happen that the rich become richer and the poor find it hard to make both ends meet.”

Provincial Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari said at a news conference that the biggest problem of the common people at the time was electricity.

She said the Roshan Gharana Programme had been approved by the cabinet. There is good news for the people of Punjab who are suffering because of clectricity bills that the chief minister is going to provide solar power to consumers of 50 to 500 units, she added.

Under the project, 90 per cent share of the cost will be paid by the Punjab government, while 10% will have to be paid by the consumers.

The minister said the details of the project worth billions of rupees would been shared soon. She said it had happened for the first time in the history of the country that the price of flour had been notified in Punjab.

She said the chief minister was committed to reducing the prices of flour, potatoes, onions and other food items and she has zero tolerance in this regard.

The information minister said the data of beneficiaries would be collected under the Socio-Economic Registry and they would be able to benefit from the subsidies and relief given by the chief minister who was implementing all the plans announced by her.